Reasons For Happiness
by Pasts-Hormony2
Summary: Shigure and Ayame are up to their old ways, even after the curse is gone. Mayu and Hatori just seem to be the object of their torture. Can Mayu and Hatori live through it? Or will chaos ensue? Mayu x Hatori- 2nd chapter soon! Hayuko


Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters.

A/N: This takes place after the curse is lifted. We all know Hatori is a bit slow to his feelings….

**Reasons for Happiness**

**Chapter 1 'Trees and Mishaps'**

"Come on Mayu! All the good trees will be taken!" He tugged at her sleeve like a child.

She sighed. How did she get herself into this?

_(Flashback)_

A loud knock on her door made her snap her head up.

She had been reading the paper… well it was more like sleeping on it.

She had gone to bed late last night, but couldn't seem to sleep in. She had moved into the kitchen with a cup of tea in hopes that sleep would seize her.

It seems as if it did.

Mayuko Shiraki stood and walked, a sway in her tired steps, to the door of her apartment. She rubbed her eyes and looked through the peephole to see who would dare intrude her in this ungodly hour of eight a.m.

There stood the devil in form of a human; Shigure.

Mayu was half tempted to not even open the door. It would be so good to just let him stand there trying to get her attention. Yet, knowing him, he would call Hatori to 'talk some sense into her'.

That thought made her shudder.

She and Hatori had been getting closer. And part of it was because of Shigure's constant badgering. He said the two of them were a match made by kami. That had made her raise her eyes to the heavens where kami was most likely pitying her.

Mayu opened the door and saw Shigure's eyes travel over her sleepy form. Then she remembered that she was only wearing a tank top and some comfy cotton sleep pants. The tiny white flowers on her bra showed through the thin shirt material.

She couldn't conceal the instant blush as she tried to inconspicuously cross her arms over her chest.

And there was probably a red mark on her cheek from sleeping with her head against the table for two hours.

Embarrassing.

"Heh... Mayu you don't look very well rested." There was a hint of mockery in his tone that made her roll her eyes.

"Why are you here?" She asked, suddenly awake and irritated by his very presence.

"I thought you could accompany me to pick out a tree this year. Tohru is away with Kyo and Yuki is with Machi. I'm lonely." Shigure had that pleading face on that would make most women do anything.

Most; Mayu not being a part of that generalization.

Mayu simply shook her head in disgust; why couldn't he leave her alone for some peace and quiet? It was the holiday season and silence would be welcomed.

And, anyway, she knew it was an excuse to bug her all morning.

"Come one, Mayu." He was whining now. His voice grated against her nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

"No Dammit! I want to be alone!" Mayu slowly rubbed her throbbing head and sat in a chair nearby.

"It's just a tree. I promise I won't bug you!!!"

She made no move to respond.

"If you don't I'll tell Tori-kun that your love for him burns like a wildfire under the bright sun." Now he was really trying to get her to go.

Mayu laughed wryly. "He'll think you're joking."

"No he won't. You know, he's been thinking of you a lot lately."

She cut into his little ramble; there was no need for her to be hurt more than necessary. "He probably just wants to talk to Kana again or something." Mayu mumbled with her head in her hands.

This wasn't a great morning so far.

"No…. Lately Hatori's been… happier. A great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. I think he wants to talk to you but doesn't know where to start." There was seriousness in Shigure's voice; a rarity.

Mayu looked up and saw a twinkle in his eyes that quickly passed. She knew that look; it was the 'I'm planning something' look.

She just groaned.

"Fine… I'll go with you to get a tree." It was no use to fight him for too long. It was tiring, and either way he would drag her out of here.

"Yeah! Go get changed." Shigure shooed her out the room and she went to get dressed.

She randomly picked up a black sweater and some jeans. There was no need to spend too much time on an outfit.

Mayu ran her hands through her hair and grimaced, it was a tangled mess. Taking the brush on the counter, she slowly brushed out the knots.

Satisfied enough with her appearance, Mayu started to brush her teeth in slow over-deliberate strokes. She did that whenever she zoned out, brushed her teeth mindlessly.

She shook her head to free herself from her thoughtless state.

Mayu exited her bathroom to see Shigure looking nonchalantly trough her book collection. She was proud of the vast array of literature that lined the whole west wall.

"You know, Mayu, Hatori would love this book." That impish light was back in his eyes.

Mayu rolled her eyes. "Do you want to go or not?"

"Yes!"

_(End Flashback)_

Trees were leaning against the large building where people picked out which one was to go home with them. They sat waiting like puppies in a pet store; eager to leave.

Shigure turned a critical eye to all the ones precut and went to see if there were any fresh. Mayu nearly growled as he scanned every inch of the tree, looking for anything bad about them. Then he started wandering aimlessly, looking at all size trees no matter their shape or quality.

"You know, no tree is going to be perfect."

"Oh, I am perfectly aware of that."

She wasn't paying much attention, still in a morning I-just-woke-up daze. The sun was bright against the metal tags put on every forest green tree. The reflections were giving her a headache.

Some large man knocked right into Mayu and she was instantly brought back to reality. Her eyes frantically searched for Shigure. The bastard was nowhere to be found.

Mayu gritted her teeth and started to walk around to see if Shigure could be found farther into the fields.

As she rounded a tree, she ran into a dark figure. Talk about de ja vu.

"Gomen nasai!" Mayu's thoughts raced. Could she have run into an old man?! That would be terrible. A voice pulled her from her rambling thoughts.

"Mayu-chan?"

It was _that_ voice, the voice that had at times haunted her dreams. The voice was soft yet deep at the same time, it made her shiver.

The voice she loved.

"Hatori-kun? What are you doing here?" Mayu hoped her eye wasn't twitching. What was he really doing here? Hatori didn't seem like the type to enjoy Christmas tree shopping. In fact, it seemed like something he would shy away from doing.

"I could ask you the same thing." Ahhh touché… He did have a point. Christmas tree shopping wasn't something she exactly enjoyed either.

"I'll give you two hints: related to you, and a walking dead man." Mayu's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. She was out to kill.

"Oh… Him… I was dragged here by Ayame."

Hatori knew as well as she did that Ayame and Shigure were out to get them together. Yet the two of them exerted so much energy into avoiding each other.

Mayu knew she stayed away from Hatori because of that fact that she was in love with her best friend's ex. Even if Kana didn't know that she and Hatori had been together… It felt to Mayu that she would be betraying Kana.

Now… Why Hatori evaded her like the plague, Mayu didn't know. Half of her brain was running wild with thoughts that maybe he liked her too.

Mayu wanted to smack herself in the head for even thinking that. It would bring on sadness, to think of him liking her when he didn't.

An awkward silence settled over the two of them. Mayu felt as if the tension couldn't be cut through, it was too thick for even that.

"Oh!!! Look at this! Haa-san and Mayu-chan find each other after all the long, lonely nights. Romance is in the---!"

Mayu hit Shigure in the back of the head with all her might and watched as his unconscious body fell to the ground.

Both Mayu and Hatori stood there unsure of what to do about the idiot on the ground.

"That may have been overkill. Although, I am surprised that you knocked him out." Hatori grabbed his cousin and pulled him onto a bench. Mayu would've left him there to be trampled on.

Mayu eyed Hatori questionably. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you being sexist!?"

Hatori's visible eye widened. There was no doubt in his mind that Mayu was strong. It was just that seeing her knock out a man in front of him… It was a bit odd. Kana had been the kind of woman he had needed to protect. Mayu was a different story. She could take care of herself.

"HAA-KUN!!"

Both Mayu and Hatori visibly winced when they heard Ayame.

"I have found the PERFECT TREE!!!!" Ayame's voice escalated. Mayu had to resist the urge to wring his neck.

"Ayame, there is no need for you to be so loud." Ayame looked to Hatori then saw Shigure knocked out on the bench near him.

"Haa-kun! You are a murderer!" Ayame kneeled down next to Shigure and took his hand. "I shall nurse him back to a full recovery!"

"That was Mayu-chan's doing."

Mayu turned to see a teasing light in Hatori's eyes. It almost made her tear up. For all the years she had known him, he had never been one to joke around. He was much too serious. And it also seemed like there was something in him, something painful that kept him from bantering with others.

It was gone now.

Mayu recalled what Shigure had said earlier:

"_No…. Lately Hatori's been… happier. A great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. I think he wants to talk to you but doesn't know where to start."_

A great weight has been lifted.

What could that weight be? Was it a person? Was it Kana?

Could Hatori be happier because of something in his family? Mayu knew that the head of the family was always sick and that caused a lot of stress for Hatori. Could that be it? Was the head of the house better?

She wanted so bad to ask him what the reason for this newfound lightheartedness was. But both embarrassment and pride kept her from asking something so simple.

It was so different to not see pain fill his eyes. And she liked the way light could filter into the purplish-grey depths of them now.

"Why are you so happy?"

Mayu didn't realize that she had voiced her thoughts until Hatori turned to her with a questioning look on his face.

Mayu blushed at her own stupidity and turned on her heel to walk away. It was her natural reaction to uncomfortable situations; running away.

"Mayu-chan… wait…"

A warm hand grasped her own.

All the air entering Mayu's lungs suddenly got trapped as her breath hitched. He had never, not even once, touched her purposely. He shied away from touch like it was a disease.

"It's okay… I was thinking aloud, you don't have to answer." Her voice was quiet; her face flushed a bright pink, reminding him of flowers in the spring.

Spring.

Kana had been his Spring. But now, Mayu brought warmth to him.

"No," He paused for a moment after letting her hand drop, "You have a right to know."

Of course Hatori had no intentions of revealing his families dark past, he could still tell her part of the truth.

"No you don't have to---." Mayu was cut off by Hatori's smooth voice.

"How about tonight you come over and help Shigure and me with the main house's tree?"

Not once in her entire time of knowing Hatori had he ever invited her somewhere (Other than out to get something to eat) much less to go to the main house.

"Uh…um…. Sure."

The part of her that was so in love with Hatori was dancing with joy while the rational part of her was mentally sobbing at the thought of having to spend more time with Shigure.

'It will be worth it.' She said to herself.

Would anyone like a second chapter? If you do, it would be Hatori and Mayu talking about his 'newfound happiness' and, most likely, romance will be thrown in there.

I will only do a second chapter if **7 people request** it though! So review please! And thanks for reading!!!!

-Pasts-Hormony2


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